American History Titles

As William O’Neill makes us realize, the 1960s was a time like no other America has ever known. In this appraisal of its “new” culture, he conveys all that was inspired, phony, large-spirited, dreary, mad, magnificent, screwed-up, delightful, and confused about the period.

The Story of a Sexual Obsession

Largely under the radar during Kennedy’s White House years was the president’s womanizing. O’Brien details Kennedy’s near-pathological approach to women and sex, then beyond the farthest reaches of the media’s imagination. Here is an astonishing piece of presidential history.

The FBI, the NSA, and the Struggle Between National Security and Civil Liberties in the Wake of 9/11

Athan Theoharis considers the record of the past to assess today’s broadened powers for the FBI and the NSA after 9/11. He concludes that Americans may feel marginally safer, but at a dangerous cost to their freedoms and to the tenor of our political dialogue.

The Significance of the Frontier in American History

Turner here lays out his “frontier thesis,” which remains one of the key interpretations of American history. He argued that the circumstances of life on the western frontier were a determining influence on American character and institutions.

The Twisted Path to a Nuclear Weapon

Jeremy Bernstein traces the circuitous route by which Iran secured the expertise to develop a nuclear capability. Since Iran’s program appears to be aimed at weapons production, he concludes, the time of decision for action is fast approaching.

Harry Truman Tells How He'd Had Enough of MacArthur

No episode in the Truman years caused a greater uproar than his firing of Gen. Douglas MacArthur during the Korean War. MacArthur wanted to expand the war; Truman sought a limited conflict. The always candid former president explains what happened.